Booth Goodwin, the U.S. Attorney
for West Virginia’s Southern District, said James Trent, 55, of Rock View, and
his girlfriend, Brandy Horvath, 39, of Mercer County, worked together to avoid
reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in income to the Internal Revenue
Service over years.
Horvath plead guilty to the charges
against her earlier this week. Trent
Federal prosecutors said Trent appointed Horvath to serve as President of New West
Virginia Mining in 2007 to conceal his interest in the company which mined coal
for Riverside Energy near Gary in McDowell County
During a three year period, IRS
investigators said Horvath would withdrawal money from the company’s bank
accounts for their personal use, but claimed those withdrawals were for
business expenses.
Between 2007 and 2010,
the investigation also showed Horvath had help from others in structuring
regular cash withdrawals from the company’s bank accounts.
Horvath faces up to three years in
prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in November. Trent
Two accomplices have already plead
guilty to their own charges and were sentenced to prison.
